The AP transport department had written a letter to the State government expressing its inability to operate convoy vehicles for the chief minister, ministers and other VIPs in the state. The Transport department said the government had to pay Rs 17.5 crore dues to the department.

The department further told the state government that they were making vehicles available for the chief minister, ministers and other VIPs in the state including the senior IAS and IPS officers during their visit to the districts.

The Transport department had tried to seize private vehicles in Ongole last month when the chief minister was scheduled to visit the district. As the passengers of the vehicle protested, the state government took action against the officials and told them to restrain from collecting private vehicles by force.

Former chief minister and the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu took strong exception to the state government failing to pay the expenses for the chief minister and others’ visit to the district. “Is the government not in a position to meet its expenses,” Chandrababu Naidu asked.

The State transport department is burdened with the responsibility of procuring vehicles during the chief minister’s visit. The department procures vehicles whenever the ministers and the senior bureaucrats visit the districts.

The irony is that the APSRTC too is bearing the burden. The RTC was made to buy two heavy vehicles so far. One bus was purchased by former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu when he moved from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, there is another bus with the department which was purchased by Chandrababu Naidu during his earlier term. The two vehicles have become white elephants to the RTC now, as the chief minister is not using them.

It is now to be seen how chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would handle the issue.